CHAPTER 305
Inside the office, Arianna stood near the desk, watching as Clark leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharp and unyielding. She approached calmly and asked,
“Is there something you need, Mr. Lewin?”
Clark’s expression was hard, his eyes scrutinizing her. Instead of answering directly, he demanded coldly,
“Would you like to explain what exactly you did in the field today, Arianna?”
Arianna’s brows rose slightly; she had an inkling of what this was about. Keeping her voice steady, she replied,
“I was following up on leads about Professor Cornwell, as assigned.”
Clark’s patience snapped, and he slammed his palm against the desk, his voice full of frustration.
“So, you’re going to play innocent? You had a golden opportunity to capture an exclusive on the professor, and yet I received a report that you deliberately helped him evade the press. Is this true?”
There it was—the incident she’d anticipated.
And she didn’t have to guess to know who had reported it. The smug expression Harmony had given her earlier was all too clear now.
Both of them had been tasked with gathering intel, but while Arianna worked on approaching the situation directly, Harmony’s attention had been fixed on observing and undermining Arianna’s every move.
It was obvious Harmony had collected enough evidence to make her accusation stick. Realizing there was no point in lying, Arianna admitted calmly,
“Yes, I did help Professor Cornwell avoid the crowd.”
Clark’s expression darkened.
“Your role was to get the story, Arianna—not only did you fail to do so, but you also disrupted the work of your colleagues. What’s going on here? Have you decided that protecting Professor Cornwell is a better career move than doing your job as a reporter?”
"Mr. Lewin," Arianna held his gaze, her expression steady, her tone firm.
“When I saw Professor Cornwell surrounded, he was being harassed by reporters who were openly provoking him, trying to force a reaction for the sake of a headline. Some were practically declaring him guilty just to create a sensationalized story, with no real interest in the truth. You sent me to uncover the facts and report honestly to the public.”
She paused, choosing her words carefully as she looked at him.
“In my view, their actions were an abuse of journalistic integrity. Under those circumstances, stepping in and helping him wasn’t just an act of kindness, it was a responsible decision both as a journalist and as a person who values fairness.”
Clark’s face hardened, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he struggled to contain his irritation.
“Ridiculous!” he barked, visibly infuriated.
“I sent you there to get the story, Arianna—using any approach you deemed necessary. But instead, you chose to let Selby slip away, leaving us with no coverage at all. And now, you stand here insisting you did the right thing?”
Arianna squared her shoulders and met his glare unflinchingly.
“Mr. Lewin, I intend to find out the truth, but I won’t do it by hounding or intimidating someone to get a reaction. I believe that approach is wrong, and I won’t compromise my values to get a story.”
"Amazing," Clark scoffed, his eyes narrowing as he shook his head in exasperation.
“Here you are, acting self-righteous instead of owning up to your mistakes.” He took a deep breath, visibly restraining his frustration.
“Fine, Arianna. You can take this time to reflect on your actions. I expect a self-review of no less than five thousand words from you, detailing what you did wrong, and you’ll read it aloud at the team meeting next Monday. Until then, you're off the assignment. Either follow through or remove yourself from this project entirely!”
…
When Arianna stepped out of Clark's office, the atmosphere on the open floor was thick with whispers and curious glances cast her way. Clark’s reprimand had been loud enough for nearly everyone to hear, and the office was buzzing with murmurs about her.
Harmony’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she took in the scene, a small, pleased smirk curling her lips.
She had been biding her time, letting Arianna believe she had the upper hand, playing a patient game. But now, she thought, it was her chance to take Arianna down a peg.
Despite the prying stares and hushed voices around her, Arianna’s face remained impassive.
She walked calmly across the lobby, her gaze focused ahead as she headed straight for the pantry, not indicating the turmoil that might have been brewing beneath the surface.
She didn’t look left or right, her expression resolute, as though the tension rolling off her back was of little consequence.
It was as if she hadn’t been fazed at all.
Harmony scoffed, rising from her seat to follow Arianna, clearly relishing the chance to witness her rival’s discomfort up close.
In the pantry, Arianna took her time filling a paper cup with warm water, sipping it slowly in an attempt to regain her composure.
Harmony sauntered in behind her, leaning against the counter with a smug grin. Her voice dripped with false sympathy as she said,
“Are you alright, Arianna? It seemed like Mr. Lewin came down pretty hard on you back there.”
Arianna knew she surpassed Harmony in many ways, but if there was one skill Harmony had mastered, it was the art of veiled insults. She took a final sip, tossed her cup in the trash, and turned to face her.
This time, instead of brushing Harmony off as she usually would, she met her gaze with a cool smile.
“So, is this little setup supposed to make you feel accomplished?” she asked, her tone cutting yet calm.
“Or is stirring up petty drama the only card you’ve got to play?”
Harmony’s smile faltered, and she bristled, though she quickly tried to recover. Her voice grew sharper.
“Big words, Arianna. You’ve barely set foot in this company, and you’ve already managed to humiliate yourself. The way I hear it, Mr. Lewin has you presenting a self-review to the entire team next week. That must sting.”
“Oh, and in case you didn’t know,” Harmony continued, her voice dripping with satisfaction,
“the general manager will be there. He was all for bringing you in and setting you up with top opportunities, but I wonder what he’ll think of his golden new hire now? After all, you’ve already managed to stain his reputation with this little scandal of yours. Quite the impression you’re making.”
Arianna listened patiently, her expression unchanged as Harmony let out her stream of ridicule.
When Harmony paused, Arianna simply chuckled, her eyes narrowing with amusement.
“You’re trying hard, aren’t you, Harmony? You must be terrified of me.”
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